Angels and Tears
by AngelsPrince
Summary: The story of the two Nova fighters and the traitor. What's going to happen between them? Rated T just in case.
1. Specters

**Hey guys, this is my first attempt at a fic so please bear in mind that it won't be a super amazing story. I'm really fond of this ABxKaiser pairing and decided to write a short story about it. Please do drop a review of this story and maybe provide constructive criticism. This is the first chapter (there'll probably only be two). I'd really appreciate a review, it'd mean the world to me (: **

**~Kaiser's PoV~**

"Psst… wake up Kaiser…" I barely hear the words as I roll in my bed.

"mmmrphhh…." is the only sound I make

'WAKE UP NOW LAZY BUGGER!" and before I can respond, an ice-cold stream of water lands square on my face. I get up immediately, furious at whoever did that

"ARGH! WHAT THE HELL CARTALION!" I yell, sitting up. I notice my good pal Cartalion standing next to my bed with a bucket in his hand. He has a grin on his face. I glance at the wall clock. 5am?! "What in Nova's name are you doing waking me up at 5am!" I ask angrily as I get out of bed. My whole body is drenched. Thanks a lot Cartalion, I think.

"Keep it down Kaiser, you'll wake up the town. You do know you shout loud as hell?" I scowl and get out of bed. Cartalion continued. "I've woken you up as I have a request from Fenelle. The Specters from Heliseum are causing havoc in Pantheon and she has requested you eliminate 300. Angelic Buster will help you. You will meet her in half an hour at the East Pantheon Plains." Cartalion twirled his sword as he explained to me.

"Alright alright, I'll do it. You could've waken me up more nicely though." I clamber into the shower. Cartalion grinned, seemingly proud of his new method of waking me up. 300 Specters… sigh… What a way to start the day. I was intending to wake up later and relax today but I could not reject a request from Fenelle. I freshened myself up in the shower and got dressed in my battle attire.

Twenty minutes later, I am fully geared up and armed with my two-handed sword. I start making my way to the East Pantheon Plains. Cartalion waved goodbye to me. "Have fun out there! I'd love to join you, but I'm on guard duty now. I would really love spending some time with Angel…" I raised an eyebrow. "I-I mean fighting those specters!" he quickly adds, face turning red. I laughed to myself and left. Cartalion had such an obvious crush on Angelic Buster, it was pointless for him to try and deny. He ogled at her whenever she struck up conversation with him and tried countless times to ask her out, only to get a F6 stare from her in return.

When I reach the East Pantheon Plains, I noticed Angelic Buster sitting on a rock. She was fast asleep. I couldn't blame her, not like I wanted to wake up at 5am either. Leaning in close to her right ear, I pushed aside her pink hair and whispered to her.

'Hey Angel…" I said in a low (probably sexy) voice. Angel was a nickname I used for her as I thought Angelic Buster was troublesome to say. Plus, it was a cute name.

"Eek!" she screams and quickly jumps up, turning around and aiming her soul shooter at me. "H-hey, you scared me Ky-Kaiser! I t-thought you were Cartalion, trying to be a pervert or something!" she lowers her weapon and came forward to give me an embrace and HEY, not that we're in a relationship or anything, she's just a really good friend. I hug her back and laughed.

"I'll definitely tell Cartalion that one, hahahaa. What're you doing napping here on a stone in the middle of the Pantheon Forest? You might get eaten by a Sleepy Grobler."

"Well I wasn't supposed to be waking up at 5am! I need my beauty sleep! And I won't be eaten by one of those weak little creatures!" she replies defensively, folding her arms and whipping her pink hair to the side.

"Ah well, let's just finish our task quickly and we can continue with whatever we intended to do. Damn Specters…" She nods in agreement and happily exclaims, "Let's do this!" Good old Angel, with her over-cheerfulness and enthusiasm. We set off together.

With the Maple Alliance too busy fighting against the Black Mage, I'd say Angel's my best ally and friend against Magnus's attack on the Nova people. She's always optimistic no matter what and I like that. And hey, she's cute y'know, with that pink hair and ridiculous dress which captivates other guys. Come to think of it, she reminds me of a certain childhood friend Tear…

"Snap out of it Kaiser, you have work to do" I told myself. I brandish my sword and charge at a group of Specters.

**~AB's PoV~**

"Celestial Roar!" I scream, and the spirit of the dragon Eskalade rushes forward and kills 8 Specters in front of me. I turn around and see Kaiser furiously swinging his sword at the Specters around him. I have to admit, he does look pretty hot when he fights, with his blue hair and movements… I feel my face heat and mentally slap myself for having such a thought. We sure make a good team though, it's such a shame we don't work together often. "How many more?" I shout over to him. We'd been taking these specters out for the past hour and it was quite tiring. I lost count at about 100.

"Just a few more!" he shouts back. I concentrate all my energy and scream, "Soul Resonance!" A pink pillar of light surrounds me and sucks nearby monsters in, killing them. That ought to be enough, I tell myself. Kyle-I mean Kaiser, comes up to me, panting. "Great job Angel. That should be enough." He's sweating profusely and sits down on a nearby rock to catch his breath. He gestures to a rock next to him. "Have a rest Angel, we deserve one." I smile and sit down next to him. How gentlemanly and caring, that's so typical Kyle. It seems like being Kaiser hasn't changed his personality one bit – he's still the Kyle I knew decades ago

"I got us something to eat," he said, pulling out two apples from his sack and passing me one. "Why thank you Kaiser," I say cheerfully. Kyle gives me a smile and for a moment, I suddenly seem to lose my conscious mind. I lean in to him and give him a quick peck on the cheek. Yes, my lips only brush his cheek for a short moment, but it's enough to cause a major awkward silence between us. Kyle's eyes widen and I could have sworn I saw his face turn the slightest shade of red.

_Woah, did I really just do that? That was so… unusual for me… Thank god nobody saw that._

Kyle has a slight look of shock, but he quickly wipes it off his face. He seems to not think too much about it and takes a huge bite out of his apple. Whew, that was close, why did I even do that? I quietly ponder about my little moment of… affection, while munching on my apple.

**~Kaiser's PoV~**

_Woah, did Angel seriously just do that? I sure didn't expect that to happen. We've been great friends for years now but… that was the closest we'd ever gotten to some form of… affection. I shrug it off. Ah, that was probably just a friendly gesture… no big deal… it's not like no girl's ever done that to you, I mean like, Tear did it…_

The both of us sit there, quietly munching our apples. After Angel's little moment of affection, there had been a really awkward silence. I decide to break it. Hey, we're good friends, something small like that wouldn't spoil our friendship. Tossing my apple core onto the floor, I turn to look at her and strike up a conversation.

"So… Angel, how's things been going for you? How is it being the so-called Idol of the Battlefield? Have any incredible tales to tell me of your adventures or your experiences with your good dragon pal?" She looks up at me and has a wide smile. Hopefully she isn't too worried about what happened earlier.

"Oh I've been doing fine, going round beating up some monsters and arguing with Eskalade… Why do you ask?"

"Just interested. So how about telling me about one of your incredible adventures! And has Eskalade been perv-ing on you?" For some reason, this made her smile widely.

"Of course! I've gone through so much crap since we last met. I have so many incredible stories! And Eskalade's been the same, perverted as always trying to hit on me. Just the other day he suggested that we cuddle and talk about the moon or whatever… Hehehee hahaHAHAHAHA!" Angel has that habit of suddenly bursting into maniacal laughter. Cute, I think of it, but it can be a little unsettling at times. Nevertheless, she continues. "So not too long ago I got a quest in the Temple of Time to take out 333 Chief Memory Guardians. I mean like, 333?! That was insane! And so I was hopping around unleashing hell on those memory guardians when suddenly this huge beast popped out! It looked like a freaking whale and I'm standing there so shocked like, WHY IS THERE A WHALE HERE IN THE TEMPLE?! That was even more insane than 333 chief memory guardians! So I decided to try and fight it but my gosh it was powerful! I was fighting for my life and using all my power to fight it. BUT IT WAS SO AWESOME! IT WAS ALL LIKE PEW PEW PEW KABLOOM AND I DEFEATED IT!" She started doing some sort of… dance? while aiming her soul shooter around and firing at imaginary enemies.

Yes, this is the Angelic Buster I know. Over-excited, overly cheerful and always craves an adventure. And she's always so cute when she talks like that. I smiled to myself… She sure reminded me of a certain girl from my childhood. Always cheerful and excited… knack for fun….

**~AB'S PoV~**

I notice Kyle-or-Kaiser staring into space. How rude! Was he even listening to my AMAZINGGGGG story? I mean I just described it so awesomely and vividly! There's a funny look in his eyes…. He looks happy, yet there's a sort of… hurt in them. How odd.

"Kaiseeerrrrrrrr….. Are you listening?" I say, shaking his arm. He snaps out of his sort of… trance, and looks at me. "Yeah Angel, I just have a lot of stuff going through my mind now… but what an interesting story! So what did you do after you beat that whale-thing?"

I decide to continue my story. "Then when I was done Eskalade was being a pervert as usual! He started saying, 'hey, you look really cute fighting like that. Do you want a new outfit? You'd look better that way!' I mean how creepy can he be! But I finished the quest and got my reward… BUT THE FIGHT WITH THE WHALE-THING WAS SO AWESOME IT WAS PEW PEW PEW KABLOOM!" Man, I do get excited way too easily. Gotta work on that. Kaiser just laughs and tells me, "Alright, I get what you're saying. It sounds like fun."

"So what was bothering you Ky-Kaiser? What was on your mind just now when you were in that trance? Is it a girl you fancy? OMG I CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT!" Kyle just gave me a funny look.

"Nope, I was just thinking about something else… nothing really important."

"Nooooo tell me! I want to knoooowwww!" I plead, giving him the puppy dog eyes.

"Alright… I was thinking about… how you're always cheerful and excited about things… Just like my childhood friend Tear. Come to think of it, you remind me of her so much, you talk like her, you act like her, it's as if you were her. But I know that can't be right… she got cursed by that Eastern Relic and I haven't heard much from her… I really really hope she's well. I'd tell people she was my best friend, more so than Velderoth. She's really the most wonderful girl I'd ever known…" Kyle finishes with a sigh and he stares off into the distance.

_Oh my god, he's gonna make me cry! No Angel, keep your emotions in check. You are Angelic Buster, not Tear! You cannot reveal your true identity! But Kyle… he's so sweet… I might just have fainted from bliss from all those compliments. 'Most wonderful girl he's known… Squeeeaaaaallll~_

_ But no. Kyle cannot know the truth._

"Oh, that's so sweet…." I say, resting my hand on his shoulder. "I-Im sure your T-Tear friend is doing well, maybe she just needs… um, um.. s-some time to uh, recover! When she's fine I'm sure she'll return to you and um, you'll be happily together! As for me, I don't have much clue about her… but for you I'll hope she's fine." Ugh, I hate talking about myself like that. But I'll do it to hide the truth.

Kyle sighs. "That's really nice of you Angel… I look forward to being with her again when all this is done, I really do." Oh Kyle, you're such a sweetie. I almost feel the tears coming to my eyes…

_I do look forward to that as well Kyle, I do._


	2. Dilemma

**Well, chapter 2 is up. Hope you guys enjoy!**

**Note: I use Kaiser and Kyle interchangeably. After all, they are the same person.**

**~Kaiser's PoV~**

"We'd better get back to Pantheon, they must be waiting for us." I notice Angel seems in a sort of… trance. She's just staring into space. My eyes might deceive me but I swear I can see a small teardrop at her eyes… What's up with her? I don't think I've ever seen her cry, she's stronger than that. I decide to not think too much of it. Maybe some dust got in her eye or she's tired from fighting those specters. "Angel… Let's head back to Pantheon." I repeat to her. That seems to snap her out of her thoughts.

"R-right Ky-Kaiser, l-let's go back." She seems to be stuttering and I can definitely hear some sadness in her voice. And what's up with her double 'K' when pronouncing my name? Sounds like some epic sound effect. K-K-K-Kaiserrrrrrrr!~ Ha ha, I must be a complete ass if I make fun of her about that. But anyway, now I'm really a little confused. Just a short while ago she was all cheerful and happy and suddenly she's moody and all. What happened in that few minutes?

"Hey, you all right Angel? You seem upset. What's up?"

"Uh-i-it's nothing! I'm j-just tired and thinking about um… those specters. I-I mean, w-what if they got into Pantheon and Magnus penetrates our defenses? Our poor people would all suffer. I'm just thinking how bad it would be if we fail to protect Pantheon." Hmm, seems convincing enough. I pat her shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. Our defenses are very very strong. Magnus won't be able to penetrate our defenses that easily. Besides, with the both of us, Pantheon should be safe for now! Those relic shields will guard us just fine, even with the Eastern one gone. Sigh, makes me wonder again how Tear's doing… damn relic and priests… Oh well, I will guard Pantheon for my friends, especially for her! _Ah crap, why did I say that? Now Angel's probably thinking I have some sort of lost love for Tear… Meh, hope she doesn't think too much about it, that'd be embarrassing for me, she'd tease me non-stop and I'd never hear the end of it. _

"Well," I quickly change the subject. "Let's get going and head back to Pantheon. I have other business to attend to. Plus the elders and Cartalion are probably waiting for us. Let's not make them worry about our safety." I get up and sheath my sword. Angel seems to get the cue and gets up as well, her pink hair flying about in the wind.

**~AB's PoV~ **

Kyle and I are walking back to Pantheon. As we walk back, his words are replaying themselves in my mind. _'Guard Pantheon for my friends, especially Tear!' _Woah woah, that was deep. I feel my heart tighten as those words ring in my ears. _Did he mean… he liked me? Is he really willing to… protect me at whatever cost?_ Oh, he's such a sweetie. It takes quite a lot of effort for me to hold back my tears.

I begin to think about my double identity and Kyle. It's really difficult to play two roles at once – the heroic Idol of the Battlefield Angelic Buster, then the sickly and cursed girl Tear. Kaiser only knows the Angelic Buster part, but he must not know the Tear part. That would just… ugh, it'd be so horrible! I don't even want to think about it!

But… but a part of me desires more than anything to show him my real identity as Tear. Hopefully he can accept it. I hope in such a situation that he does. Maybe, just maybe, I can be together with him. That's something I really want, to be Kyle and Tear, like those days so many years ago, back where everything was good. I've had fantasies about that for a while now – just Kyle and I, together, nothing about Kaiser nor Angelic Buster…

I feel my face heat. Why am I having such thoughts? Am I possibly having… some romantic feelings for Kyle?


	3. Complications

**HEY GUYS! Thankfully, I finally managed to get this chapter up. Apologies for the long wait, I was busy and even if I had time I was rather lazy so... sorry xD. I did suffer writer's block at some point and had no idea how to continue but, meh. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy!**

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**~Angel's PoV~**

_ I am walking in a large meadow. The lush green grass spreads into the distance where it meets the sparkly blue water of an ocean. There are colourful flowers everywhere in the meadow. The flowers give the entire place a sweet scent. The sky overhead is a sapphire blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds floating about. A brilliant peach-coloured sun hangs over the entire meadow. It is not like the annoying sun in Ariant, bright, relentless and the heat blistering. Instead, it's cool and not too bright. This is pure, unspoiled beauty. _

_ 'Where am I? Why am I here?' I ponder as I walk. I seem to be the only one in this picturesque place. I look at my pigtails and realize it isn't pink. How odd. Instead, it is brown. I also notice I am not wearing my dress-up suit, just plain normal clothing, like what the Nova citizens wear. Why am I not in my Angelic form? I seldom switch out of it. Eskalade normally demands I be in Angelic form all the time. As I walk, a name comes to mind. Tear. I am Tear now. Not Angelic Buster, but just Tear- the cursed Nova girl without magic. Yes, that's me. But why am I like this now?_

_ I see a figure in the distance. It looks like a male and he seems to be gesturing to me, waving frantically. I assume he wants me to come over so I quicken my pace and run towards him. As I near him, I notice his features, light blue hair, a muscular build. Most notably, he has bright blue eyes. Ugh, I could stare into them for hours. Like me, he is wearing plain normal clothing._

_When I am next to him, he talks. 'Hey Tear, I've been waiting for you.' Who is this man and how does he know my name? Then, he steps forward and he locks me in a tight embrace. I find myself hugging him back. Who is this man and why am I doing this? Instead of resisting this, I seem to enjoy every moment of this. He leans in to me and kisses me gently on the cheek. With a free hand, he strokes my hair and gives me a sweet smile. 'I'm here for you Tear, forever.' He whispers into my ear._

_I am half in bliss, half in shock. Is this my future? Is he my future lover?_

_ My thoughts begin clearing, and I realize this man has a name. this man's name is… is.. K-_

***THWACK***

** '**ARGHHHHH MY HEAD!' I shout. I find myself lying on the floor of my bedroom. I instantly sit up and a sharp pain shoots through my head. It feels like I just cracked my skull. I must have been rolling about in my sleep and fallen off my bed while dreaming. Damn, why did it have to end? It was such a pleasant dream. I was walking around in a beautiful meadow and came upon a beautiful man. We were in an embrace and I was enjoying every bit of it. His name, well, K… K- ah damn, now I can't even remember the details of that dream! All I know is that I was enjoying it until I fell off. Oh well, all good things must come to an end. I sigh and pace around my room.

I look up at the clock. Meh, its 4.30am, still way too early. I hope I didn't wake up anybody when I shouted out loud. I'm not in the mood to go back to sleep so I quietly open my bedroom door and head out into Pantheon. A nice walk about in the wee hours would help me calm myself, I think. Plus, Eskalade's unusually jumpy and I should calm him too. 'I'm bored Angel! I wanna go out!' he whines. Oh well, might as well. I creep out of my room, careful not to make too much noise.

It's dark outside and the town is virtually empty. I walk past the Great Temple where that pervert Cartalion is standing guard. 'Hey cutie, where ya' going out at this hour? A pretty girl like you shouldn't be out so early, it ain't safe. How about you come in with me and I'll keep you safe, entertain you? Sounds like fun, don't you think?' he winks at me and tries to get close to me. I instantly step away.

'Uh, sounds cool, but um, I've got business to attend to. None of your concern. So uh, see you Cartalion!' I quickly jog away. The quicker I get away, the better. I probably just want some time alone, without any distractions or pesky monsters. I slowly pace around the outskirts of Pantheon. I try recalling memories of my dream. Damn! Why can't I remember? All I remember is that near-perfect man.

I sit down on the floor and gaze past the shield of Pantheon, into the night sky. A certain blue-haired man drifts into my thoughts. I feel my eyelids getting heavier…

'_Hey Kyle, Veldie, will we be friends forever?' _

'_Ha ha, it's possible. Why do you ask Tear?' Velderoth says with a grin. He and Kyle are play-fighting with their swords. We are at the Heliseum Hideout and I am lazing around on the ground._

'_Well, just wondering. You and Kyle are progressing into knights and sometimes I just think I'll be left behind, not being able to do anything. It's a really depressing thought.'_

'_Hey Tear, don't worry. Veldie and I will be here for you always, no matter what. We'll always be the Heliseum Force right?' Kyle puts his sword down and sits next to me, placing an arm around me. Comforting enough. When Velderoth is distracted by a pretty butterfly flying by, Kyle quickly leans in and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek._

'_Kyle! Wha-?' I feel my face turn a bright shade of red. Kyle quickly places a finger to his lips. He smiles and continues his play-fight with Veldie, leaving me with a hand on my cheek and a rather red face._

_That was my first… to put it, 'romantic encounter' with a boy…_

**~Kaiser's PoV~**

Woah, is there somebody sleeping out on the floor in the middle of the forest? That lump on the floor looks too human to be a creature. Odd, for the past year or so I've walked around early in the morning every few days and there's never anybody out and about. Who could be here? I walk there and see the mystery person's identity. Well surprise surprise, it's Miss Angel, sleeping soundly. I kneel down next to her. 'Angel, wake up, wake up!~' She doesn't stir. Sigh.

Well, I guess I sould let her sleep. What's interesting is why she's out here though. She does have her own room to sleep in. I walk around here occasionally in the morning when I can't sleep and there never is anybody out at this hour. So it surprises me that she's out here sleeping. Bleh, whatever, she probably wants some time alone too.

I look at Angel. She looks so… peaceful when she sleeps. At this stage, she seems so… fragile, like a little child. So much like… Tear. I've said it again many times but she really does remind me of her, so much it's as if she IS her. But I know that's not possible.

**~Angel's PoV~**

_The scene shifts. I am standing with Kaiser down a long hallway. It is cold and feels very grim._

_ 'I've been waiting for you.' A voice echoes down the hallway. I hear footsteps slowly heading our direction from behind us. But when I turn around there is nobody. Out of fear, I grip Kaiser's hand and lean on his shoulder. He seems to have no response._

_ 'How very touching indeed.' The voice is so near now, it seems like it's right behind us. Both of us instantly wheel around._

_ And then we saw him. No longer the same person as our childhood friend, now wielding a giant sword and behind him a huge army of specters crowding the hallway._

_ 'Velderoth…' Kaiser whispers. 'So this is how it'll be?' he brandishes his sword._

_ I instantly jump forward to help him but to my horror, I find I am rooted to the spot. Velderoth seems to know what happened to me and laughs cruelly. 'Unh!' I scream as I struggle but I am still stuck to the spot. He slowly walks towards Kaiser_

_ Without warning, Velderoth raises his sword and simply drives it through Kaiser. The silent scream never escapes me. With his last seconds of life, he turns to me with tearful eyes._

_ 'Angel… why?' _

I wake up screaming, jolting up from my position on the floor. The tears are streaming down my face freely. I feel a strong pair of arms grip me.

'Angel! Angel! It's alright! Don't cry!' Kaiser's there, shaking me. It's odd, seeing him like this when I'd just seen his cold lifeless body, stabbed by Velderoth. I am suddenly scared something bad will happen to him. That was the scariest thing I'd ever seen. Without hesitation, I plant my face in his chest and start sobbing.

'It's all fine Angel, don't worry' he whispers into my ear. He gently wraps his arms around me. I feel so weak now, as though… as though I am Tear again. The fear of losing Kyle is too immense. I don't know why I am feeling this but I don't want him to get hurt. I hold on to him tighter.

**~Kaiser's PoV~**

I gently loosen my grip. Angel isn't crying so much now. But I still find it weird how she suddenly is all emotional. I've never seen her like this, what could have brought it on? I would ask her but that might just be rude. Bleh, whatever. I'm curious and I ought to know, maybe I can make her feel better. For some reason, I feel uncomfortable seeing her so distressed.

'Hey Angel… are you fine now? So what's going on? If you don't want to tell me it's fine but I want to help you.'

There are still tears in Angel's eyes and she's still sniffling. Thankfully, not full-out sobbing like just now.

'Ky-K-Kaiser, I have something to tell you…' she breathes and gets a hold on herself. 'I-I'm really scared I'll lose y-you… I-I dreamt that I did and i-it's so distressing!' she hiccoughs and moves herself closer to me.

I'm shocked. I certainly didn't expect that. Do I really mean that much to her? I feel my breathing getting heavier.

If it was even possible, she leans even closer to me. One of her pink pigtails in my hand and I find subconsciously myself twirling it, almost playing with it.

'I-I like you a-a lot K-Kyle…'

I don't even register the fact that she addressed me by my personal name, much less wonder how she knows. I'm too absorbed by the situation.

_Why am I doing this? Why am I not resisting against this?_

_She's so b…beautiful…_

_Her face is barely an inch from mine. I can see the teardrops clinging to her eyelashes._

_She closes the distance between us and our lips meet…_

For a moment I feel bliss. I forget about everything for a moment. All I register is that I am enjoying this and I don't want it to end.

But abruptly, it does.

**~Angel's PoV~**

I suddenly part from Kyle. _I can't do this. No. I cannot._

'A-Angel?' he whispers. There is a hurt look in his eyes.

'I-I'm sorry Kaiser. I shouldn't have done that. Sorry for this.' I quickly turn and run as fast as I can. Kaiser doesn't chase me. He just stays in the same position.

_Don't get attached. I can't do this. I cannot get attached to Kyle._

**~Kaiser's PoV~**

I watch Angel's retreating figure as she disappears into the distance. A small teardrop comes to my eye. For the first time in many years, I find myself sobbing quietly.

I really enjoyed that. I wanted it to last.

.


	4. Love or not?

**A/N: Hey guys! Alright, I know I haven't updated in a while, I apologise for that. I was really busy with examinations over the past few months. Now that I'm on a break, I decided to finish this chapter I've owed you all. To all the people who have reviewed and waited patiently for this chapter, I really really thank you. *sends virtual hug* Anyway, hope you enjoy it guys! **

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**Angelic Buster's PoV**

'No, no, no….!' I try to get as far away as I can. I run through the fields, ignoring anything else around me. "Shit, why did I even do that? I feel so stupid now! I can't do this…" I continue running until I collapse from exhaustion. I fall flat onto the grass and roll over. I lie on the ground and let my tears flow freely as a train of thoughts flashes through my head.

"Kyle…" I whisper to myself between sobs.

_I can't do this, no. I cannot get attached to Kyle. Not like this, not right now It shows weakness. Come on, I'm a hero, I gotta fight for the freedom of my people! I'm not gonna fall in love and look like some weak little mess! No, I can't do this. It can't be like this if I want to fight. This is a weakness. Do we want our enemies to use this weakness and defeat both of us? No, definitely not. I won't let this get in the way of our fight. I must remain strong in this fight and not be distracted by stupid things such as love. Yup, that's final. No more romantic stuff with Kyle, I'm all by myself from now on._

I almost feel proud of myself. But just as soon I conclude that I will avoid all romantic feelings for him, another voice speaks in my head.

_**But you love him**_

_Well, um… I wouldn't put it like that… It's um, just one of those things that uh… you know…_

_**Yes, you love him.**_

_ No no, I won't put it that way! It's just that he's really… and I'm…_

_**You. Love. Him. Dumbass!**_

Urgh, scratch. Yes, I do. I won't deny it anymore. I can't hide and run from the truth. I've been in love with him for as long as I remember… Ever since I was young. Everything that he did for me – he was so sweet and nice. For so many years I've loved everything about him, his braveness, his caring heart, everything. I'd desire nothing more in the world than to just be with him forever. Forget Kaiser and Angelic Buster, I'd just want to be with him as Tear and Kyle, nothing more than that.

But I suddenly remember.

I'm still a hero, whether or not I'm in love with Kyle or not. I have to protect my people. What's more, I can't be seen as weak because of this romance. The enemy could easily exploit this and destroy the both of us. And all our people.

No, I can't let that happen. I will try to block out any feelings for Kyle until this fight is over. Then, we can go back to what it was.

I pick myself up from the ground and walk back home.

When I reach back the town, I transform out of Angelic Buster form and return to my usual human form. (of course, ignoring Eskalade's cries of "no, stay you idiot!" and "don't change out!") I walk to my resting area to get some rest. It's been a rough night and I better calm myself and get some rest.

As I walk away, in my heart, I make a solid promise. And I'll make sure I fulfill this promise, no matter what: Kyle, I'll be with you once this fight is over. We can go back to what it was, when everything was normal and we didn't have to deal with all this. I'll be with you again, like we were once. I'll be with you soon Kyle…

When I reach my room, I crash onto the bed and fall asleep. I drift into a world of dreams, most of them involving a certain blue-haired guy.

**Kyle's PoV**

I push myself up from a lying-down position. "Damn." I whisper to myself. It felt like I had just awoken from a really good dream. Except it wasn't a dream. My head is throbbing as I remember everything that had just happened – how Angelic Buster was all emotional, how she suddenly displayed her affection for me, how we ended up having our moment. Oh well, I guess there's no denying it right now: I do have romantic feelings for Angel. I have tried to treat her as a companion in battle, nothing more. Well that obviously didn't work out. I knew I began to fall for her, and I fell fast. But then I realize, we can't do this. The words of a wise old master I once heard talk ring in my head. "Love is a distraction" Indeed, we still have a fight against our enemies, specifically the Tyrant. We can't do this right now, lest it distract us and create a weakness. "Sigh. Just gotta hold it back now." I tell myself.

I also wonder about something else. As much as my feelings for Angelic Buster were as such, I had to admit, well, truthfully, she wasn't and won't be the most important girl in my life. I think she knows that and she knows who is the most important, but I couldn't be sure. Even so, I think it'd be really hurtful for her. Nevertheless, I still maintain that there's one girl who's more important to me, more important than anybody will ever know.

-flashback start-

_"So you're saying Kaiser, this Tear girl is the most important girl in your life?" Angelic Buster asked me. There is a look in her eyes, somewhere between sadness and being touched. _

_ "Well, yes. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in love with her or anything, but she's been my best friend for so many years. I'd really be lost without her. She's someone I can really look to when I'm upset, and so does she to me. We can talk about everything under the sun, as if we were telepathic. It's just one of those things about lifelong friendship, and I really hope she and I can remain friends for as long as possible. It's so sad she doesn't have any powers like us, but I always hope that she's fine and well. In fact, I did promise to her I'd keep her safe, to protect Pantheon for her." I finish rather lamely._

_ "Hah hah, that's so funny Ky-Kaiser! But it's also really sweet, I respect you for being so… dedicated to her. Well for your sake, I hope she's all fine. When we're done with this fight, I hope you can return to hanging out with her! Maybe I'll join the both of you sometime! So tell me more! What do you two have that is so similar? Any really cool shared hobbies?"_

_ "Hah well, Velderoth and I used to collect star rocks for her, she really loved those. Well, we know what happened to Velderoth."I shudder. I do not like talking about that topic. "But I still do leave her star rocks at our hideout. She still loves those as they serve as a reminder to our friendship. And we used to spend hours at the hideout talking about stories about ancient Nova deities, Maple World, everything y'know. Good times"_

_ Angel lets out a cutesy 'awwww…' somehow, I can't help but notice that she's trembling slightly. And her words somehow sound a bit… forced. Really awkward. But oh well, it doesn't really affect me. _

_-flashback end-_

Hmm, in fact, I might just find Tear now to talk to her about this. She's a great listener and maybe she could help me with things like this. "Yeah, I'll go and find Tear. Hopefully she's at home. Maybe she can help me with this um, relationship problems?" Ha ha, I laugh to myself. I doubt she can help me with such things, I bet she's inexperienced and knows nothing about these kind of stuff. Nevertheless, I feel like talking to her. I think what I really need now is a listening ear. Furthermore, talking to her always makes me happy and brightens my mood. Yeah, sounds good. With that, I pick myself up, sheath my sword and head back to Pantheon.

When I reach Pantheon, I walk to Tear's home. Somebody calls out my name and I stop in my tracks.

"Oy Kaiser! Wait up!" I turn around and Cartalion is there, waving to me.

"What is it, Cart,?" I turn around and ask him. I walk towards him

"Good job clearing out the Specters the other day. Their population has gone down by a fair amount. Oh yeah just wondering, did something happen between you and Angelic Buster while on the job? He asks, slapping me on the back.

"Uh—huh, w-why do you ask? Is s-something w-wrong?" I stammer. How does he know? Was he spying on us? I definitely don't want anybody to know what happened between us. That must remain a secret. The last thing I'd want is for everybody to know about our 'affair' and both of us be put to shame, our reputations tarnished.

"Well, nothing wrong there bud, just wondering. She did look very… off. And she didn't seem like her usual self when she came past me earlier. I could have sworn I saw her crying. I was wondering if something happened back there that caused her to be like that. So did anything happen? You guys… aren't a thing now are you?" he asks, raising his eyebrows.

I heave a sigh of relief. Thank heaven he doesn't know about what happened. But he did ask a question and was expecting a reply "What? No! That's crazy. I don't know what happened to her man, we just beat up those specters and did our job and came back, nothing more. I'll uh, check on her later though. Anyway, catch up with you later Cart, I got other things to do right now."

"Alright Kaiser, see you later. Have a good day" I rush off to Tear's home now, hoping to get to speak to her. I silently thank my lucky stars that my 'affair' with Angel hasn't been found out. When I reach Tear's home, I knock on the door.

"Hey Tear! Are you in? Tear! It's me, Kyle! Are you there?"

**Tear's PoV**

I am suddenly awakened by a loud knocking on my room door. I hear a rather familiar voice shouting through the door. "Hey Tear! Are you there? It's me, Kyle!"

Oh no, it's Kyle. Now's really not the time. I really don't think I want to see him right now, after what just happened. I'm afraid his appearance might just trigger an emotional attack inside me, making me a sobbing teary mess. Plus, I did vow to block out romantic feelings for him. I try to ignore the knocking on the door and his shouts.

But it's no use, he's that persistent.

_Ugh fine, I'll let him in, but I'd better not go against my promise! Don't do anything stupid that will remind you of your romantic feelings for Kyle, Tear! _Oh yeah, I just remembered that I wasn't in Angelic Buster form. Kyle doesn't know that I'm Angel. That might help. I get up from my bed and call "Hold on Kyle!" at the door. I slowly make my way and open up the door.

"Hey Tear," he says, smiling brightly.

'_Lean in and kiss him!' Ugh, my feelings are starting to come back. Block them off Tear!_

"H-Hey Kyle. What do you want?" I stutter.

"I just want a talk, I've got a lot on my heart now and I just need someone to lend a listening ear. Hopefully it can get things off my heart. You care to listen to me?" he whispers.

_Of course I don't mind, as long as I can be with him._

"O-oh, um, sure. Come in Kyle."

Kyle enters my room and sits himself down on a chair. I return to my bed and lie down, eager to hear what he has to say.

_Hopefully he'll tell me about his feelings for me as well. Oh yeah, wait. He doesn't know I'm Angelic Buster._

"So… you do know who Angelic Buster is right?" he starts

_Of course I do! She's your lover. And uh, that's me._

"Y-yes, I do. She's that pink-haired idol isn't she? What a-about her?" I stutter. This is starting to get extremely awkward.

"Umm… so, this just happened… I was out taking a stroll around the forests this morning, when I just chanced upon her sleeping on the ground." He pauses and gulps

"So… uh, what's so unusual about that?" I ask.

Kyle sighs. "I really don't know what to do. She woke up all emotional and teary, claiming how she's afraid to lose me, how the thought of it was distressing to her. Well I mean, I honestly didn't think I was so significant in her life, y'know. And then… and"

_Oh no, I know where he is heading now._

"Well, she and I looked in each other in the eye, and for the first time I really just appreciated how beautiful she was. She told me that she 'really liked me' and then.. and she leaned in and, and…" Kyle's voice falters.

Even though I do know what happened. I still ask "and?"

"And then we kissed for the first time, and it just felt… just felt so right to me… Like we were meant to be from the beginning. And then suddenly she broke apart from me, claiming that she she shouldn't have done that. After that, she just ran off and left me there. And when I was alone, I suddenly felt that, I realized I love her and I can't deny it. I do love her. But I just remembered that we still have a fight against the Tyrant and this love could be a weakness and could affect both of us… but I want to be with her, argh, this is all so hard for me!" Kaiser stamps his foot on the ground.

_He… He does. He does love me too. _I can feel my lip trembling and the tear ducts about to open. _I love you too Kyle, I do. _I tell myself. I want to just jump forward, embrace him and confess my love for him as well. Then, we could be together, which is what the both of us want.

But I resist that urge. _No. He doesn't know who you are, Tear. You have to play along to this. _An idea comes to my mind. If I could 'force' Kyle into…

"Uh—Uhm Kyle, I really don't think I'm good with these type of things… but I honestly think that… you should just follow your heart. Just uh, be with her if it's what you truly desire. Don't hold back your feelings, it'd be even worse in your fight than being together. Um, that's my opinion though."

"Hmm, I don't think we should… I mean, I do love her but it's gonna be a real weakness in our fight… I don't want either of us to be harmed. And not you Tear. I promised to protect you. I won't let the Tyrant take over and bring suffering to you, just because I didn't protect well enough…"

_Man, looks like my idea isn't working…_

"Yes but, don't you think it'd just be better to go with her, I mean… I.. I-" I find no words to say. _What should I say? Come on, think! Make him choose his love for you! _

Kyle cuts me off. "That's fine Tear. I've pretty much made up my mind now. I can't follow my heart. I may love Angel, but I have to flush out any romantic feelings. That's probably going to lead to my death, or anybody else's death. I can't let that happen. I have to do my duty as a protector. Thanks for the help anyways Tear, I really appreciate it." With that, Kyle gets up and heads towards the door

I can feel my heart shattering into a million pieces. I can't control the tears anymore and they begin to flow out from my eyes. "Damn it Kyle…" I whisper. I feel my lower lip tremble and start hiccoughing. And then, I lose my control.

"Then why did you even come to find me Kyle!" I scream as he is about to leave my room. He turns around in shock. I stand up and advance onto him. "You're just so stubborn, how can I even think about helping you!" I continue screaming, the tears pouring out of my eyes freely now. I shove him backwards. "Y-you already know that you aren't going to choose her, w-why even bother asking me! You're so stubborn, it's not as if I can change your decision! Why even look for me!" Kyle just looks stunned for a moment. However, his face suddenly changes to one of sheer fury.

"What, Tear? Did I hear you correctly? REALLY?! You don't know what it's like being me! You don't know what it's like having to be the protector of this race, while struggling with your emotions and feelings! Have you had to think about how the fate of your people is in your hands? HAVE YOU?! Have you sat there wondering what it'd be like if you seemed weak and the enemy could easily defeat you because of some weakness? HAVE YOU?! No, you haven't at all! So how can you be blaming me of such things! You don't even know anything you asshole!" I suddenly notice the tears coming out of Kyle's eyes too.

"Get out Kyle." I whisper in a soft voice. "Just please go." I say, as I begin to sob uncontrollably.

"Fine. If that's what you want. I've made my choice Tear, you've made yours. You can forget about this friendship completely! Don't even bother remembering I was your friend! Maybe Velderoth was right, I could have chosen to leave and join Magnus instead of having to deal with you!" With that, Kyle storms out of the room and slams the door behind him. His booming footsteps slowly fade into silence.

I clamber back onto my bed and start crying freely. I do not care for how long I cry or if anybody sees me. I can only muster one thought in my mind, as the tears flow out freely from my eyes.

_Kyle's gone… he isn't choosing to love me… and I've just lost my best friend…_

I continue to lie there, the tears flowing from my eyes and crying myself out.

* * *

**A/N again: Whew, done with this chapter. Once again, thanks for reading. Do drop a review if you enjoyed it! I'm also welcome to any constructive criticism. It'll help me be a better writer. **


	5. Attack!

**Wow sorry to keep all of you waiting guys, just been really busy. Thankfully, I managed to get this chapter out. Just note that this is more of an action chapter than what you'd expect. Had to make it as part of the storyline. Hope you all enjoy! Do give a review if you did, I'd appreciate it. **

**Once again, real sorry for the wait **

* * *

**Kaiser's PoV**

I storm away furiously from the room, fuming mad. Out of anger, I punch a wall, causing cracks to form in the wall and the whole floor to shake for a moment. I run to the fields and out of anger, start killing some creatures to perhaps calm myself down.

_Seriously, Tear's a total ass, so unlike her. I just asked for some help on my feelings for Angelic Buster, and she gets all pissy and screams at me. What the hell did she say? I'm THAT stubborn and whatever she says can't change my decision that I can't be distracted by my feelings? That's totally absurd. She has no idea what it's like being a warrior like me, all she does is sit around all day doing nothing. _

"Woah woah, that's harsh Kyle, she's still your best friend…" a voice in my head tells me. I sigh.

_Yeah true, but that still doesn't justify what she said. It's really hard being in my position, having to defend your race from a tyrant, and suddenly falling in love with the girl fighting alongside you. And now I'm torn between my feelings for her and my duty to protect. Ugh, this sucks. _

But then I think back to all these years, when Tear stood by me and supported me. Despite me not spending time with her, she still treated me as her best friend, and helped me out in my time of sadness and need. Except for this time though. Nevertheless, she has helped me out on so many occasions and I am still really grateful for having her in my life, having that shoulder to cry on sometimes.

Now I feel bad, and I think I really owe her an apology for my outburst. Otherwise, I might lose a person that I really care about in my life.

A frantic voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Kaiser! Kaiser! Wait! There's an emergency right now! Edea and Piston require your presence in the Great Temple **N-O-W NOW**!" I turn my head. The chief scout, Tiron, is rushing towards me. He has an absolutely terrified look on his face. He gestures and waves wildly at me, trying to get my attention.

"Woah woah, chill out Tiron! What the hell's going on? Mind telling me what this major emergency's about?" I ask

"From what I hear from the scouts and Piston, Pantheon's being attacked right now! Enemy specters are swarming from Heliseum and our troops are being overwhelmed! We can't hold out much longer and we need your assistance desperately!" Tiron pleaded. It was my turn to be in panic.

"What the?! We're being attacked? Damn it! I'll be right there, no time to lose now! Thanks pal!" I rush away to the Grand Palace to get some instructions from Edea and Piston before I do what I do best – defending my homeland and beating people up.

When I reach the Grand Palace, only Edea is there, looking more panicked than she usually does. She is mulling over some battle strategies. Piston has probably already left for the battlefield to lead the line against whoever has attacked. Edea notices my presence. "You're finally here, Kaiser. We need your help urgently. As Tiron probably told you, we're being attacked. The specters are incoming from Heliseum in large numbers. We have to thanks our luck that Magnus isn't with them, but still our forces are currently being overwhelmed as we speak. Please head to the battleground and assist them. Your very presence boosts the morale of the troops so please do your best to drive these enemies away and fulfill your duty as Kaiser by protecting Pantheon."

"Alright. You have my word." I promise Edea. I power myself up and leave for the battleground.

I cut through hordes of specter warriors with ease, showing no sign of fatigue as I dispatch them easily. Sure, there were a lot of them, but this is nothing a Kaiser can't handle. I transform into my Final Form, greatly boosting my power and start slashing wildly at the specters, sending them to their death, or rather, to their disappearance considering they aren't even real beings. With the last few specters, I summon my hyper skill to wipe them out. "Ancestral Prominence!" A blaze of fire erupts from my sword, wiping out the field of specter warriors. That seems to be all.

"Hooray! The enemies have been defeated!" the troops cry out. "All hail the mighty Kaiser for saving us! Long live Pantheon!" a cry of victory resonated through the air. I couldn't help but feel proud for myself and all of the troops. After all, they fought their hardest and gave their all to defend their home.

I am put out of my thoughts by a soft laughter. Over the loud noise of the cheers from the soldiers, I hear the clink of titanium boots against the ground. The soft laughter continues. A menacing voice speaks. "Don't get too full of yourselves… I could easily wipe all of you out with a single blow. But that's not what I'm here for. I'm just here to send out a message… There's no point resisting. Pantheon will inevitably fall into the hands of Magnus." The voice lets off a cruel laughter, sending chills down my spine. The cheering from the soldiers stops abruptly and their faces are suddenly plastered with looks of terror.

"That… that voice! Is it… it has to be. There's no other reasoning." I thought to myself, knowing very well who that voice belonged to.

"Well if it isn't the great Kaiser…" the voice continued. "I've been waiting to see you again for so long. I must say you're doing a commendable job as protector of your race… but even you will be powerless against our might." He lets out another cruel laughter.

"Show yourself, traitor!" I yell at the voice, the anger coursing through my veins now. How dare he return as a henchman of the tyrant Magnus, having betrayed his homeland?

"As you wish, old friend." A figure teleports in front of me suddenly. With a movement swift as lightning, he strikes me and knocks me to the ground. Even I, with my sheer strength and quick reflexes, cannot do anything to dodge the blow as I am knocked to the ground. As I pick myself up from the ground, I glare at my assailant with a look of hatred.

There he is, Velderoth, standing over me with a smug look on his face. He wields his sword in one hand, the other hand calmly slotted in his pocket. He laughs cruelly again. "It's good to see you again _Kaiser._ Or should I say, Kyle…" he sneers.

"What the hell do you want, _Veldie?"_ I question him, my voice heavy with contempt. "Why are you doing this? Why betray your own homeland and join the tyrant? Have your morals stooped so low?!"

Velderoth laughs coldly again. "Are the both of us not two sides of the same coin Kyle? We both seek power. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't blessed with some 'protector of the Nova' title which granted me power. But My Lord Magnus has granted me this power, and for that I am thankful to him, hence I serve him."

I grit my teeth in anger. "We're in no way same, Velderoth. I seek the power to protect my people, friends and family. You seek power for your evil selfish means!"

Velderoth scoffs. He points his sword at me. "Well, how about we see which of these powers is truly stronger? I've been looking forward to this for some time now…"

"Fine, if that's what you really want! I'll show you just where you stand, you bloody traitor!" I pick myself up from the ground and apply my buffs to power myself up. Once that is done, I unsheathe my sword and lunge at Veldeorth.

Velderoth is quick to react, parrying my strikes with equal ferocity. I summon my Tempest Blades to attack Velderoth, but he dodges them and launches his counterattack, sending a wave of slashes at me. A couple of them strike me and I grunt in pain.

_"Damn, was Velderoth always this strong or am I just weakened? I might have gone too far with those specters earlier." _I think to myself. Nevertheless, I continue my relentless attack, transforming to my Final Form to attack.

We are evenly matched, nevertheless. Whatever power Velderoth got from Magnus, it sure is strong. We land several heavy blows on each other, but both of us are relentless and won't give up the fight.

**"Get back Kaiser!" **a shrill voice screams. Taken completely by surprise, I do as the voice tells me, pulling away from Velderoth. Hell, it was a good decision. The pink-coloured spirit of a dragon appears and charges at Velderoth, attacking him and stunning him temporarily.

"What the bloody hell!" Velderoth shouts in anger as he is thrown off balance by the sudden attack. I smile. I knew exactly where it had come from.

"Ooooh, she's here! The Angelic Buster has arrived!" The other soldiers cry out.

When she arrives by my side, all she says is a meek "Hey Kyle…"

Oh crap, I just remembered the whole fiasco between the two of us. I let off a sigh of exasperation.

"Look, I know things are a little messed up between us with what we just did… But let's discuss about that later alright? We got a much more important issue here and we gotta beat this traitorous bastard! Is that good Angel?!" I urge her.

She sighes and nods slowly, a rather sad look on her face. "Yeah, that's fine with me."

Velderoth grins evilly again. "Well if it isn't everybody's favourite Idol of the Battleground! Now it's a two-on-one eh? Heh, doesn't make it any more difficult, I could enjoy this fight!" He points his sword at the both of us. "Come at me with whatever you've got!" he sneers.

"Veldie… why are you doing this?" Angelic Buster whispers, only loud enough for me to hear.


	6. Elucidation

Previous chapter:

_"Look, I know things are a little messed up between us with what we just did… But let's discuss about that later alright? We have a much more important issue here and we gotta beat this traitorous bastard! Is that good, Angel?!" I urge her._

_She sighes and nods slowly, a rather sad look on her face. "Yeah, that's fine with me."_

_Velderoth grins evilly again. "Well if it isn't everybody's favourite Idol of the Battleground, the famous Angelic Buster! Shouldn't you be at some show singing to those hopeless soldiers? Whatever, so now it's a two-on-one eh? Heh, doesn't make it any more difficult, I could enjoy this fight!" He points his sword at the both of us. "Come at me with whatever you've got!" he sneers._

_"Veldie… why are you doing this?" Angelic Buster whispers, only loud enough for me to hear._

**Kaiser's PoV**

_Veldie? That's odd, only Tear and I used to call him that. How would Angel know anything about it? Damn it Kyle, now's not the time to be thinking about stuff like this! _"Let's go Angel!" I shout. Together, we throw ourselves at Velderoth. We send a barrage of attacks at him. With the added firepower, Velderoth seems to be more strained and has more trouble parrying our attacks and launching his own counter-attack. Nevertheless, he still looks smug and cocky.

"Is that all you got? Come on, show me what you've got, Kyle and Miss Pink Princess!" Velderoth sneers.

"Come to your senses, Velderoth!" I yell at him. "You don't have to walk down this path! It's not too late to see the light and change your horrible ways!"

Velderoth laughs cruelly as he lashes at me. "See the light? I've made my decision, Kyle. Lord Magnus has offered me this power which I seek. I always wanted to be powerful and get credit as a great warrior. I couldn't get any of it because _somebody _got the title of Kaiser, sacred protector and all that! No matter how hard I worked and trained I was never good enough. All everybody talked about was Kaiser this and Kaiser that! Here I was training and training but you always stole the limelight without even working or lifting a finger!"

"You're talking absolute bullshit!" I shout at him as I slash multiple times. "Since when was it ever a competition? Did you honestly think I got where I am without my share of hardship? I've been through so much more than you have ever thought of going through, Velderoth! You don't know what it's like being me! Don't talk about things you have no clue about!"

In my fury, I raise my sword. **"Inferno Breath!"** I bring the sword down, unleashing a sea of flames on Velderoth. At the same time, Angelic Buster yells **"Trinity!",** sending the spirit of the dragon Eskalade to attack Velderoth. The combined attack seems to have worked in our favour, sending Velderoth flying backwards onto the ground. Good, I think. That surely caused some significant damage to him.

"Argh, damn it. That one caught me out…" he curses as he picks himself up "But I won't be beaten! Are you intending to halt me and my master? We're going to destroy all of you!" he says with a psychotic grin on his face.

"Veldie!" Angelic Buster shouts over the noise of the battle. Velderoth and I both turn to her. "Why are you doing this? You were our friend, it was you who was all intent on reclaiming Heliseum, becoming the greatest knight in Nova and defeating Magnus. Don't you remember the times the three of us spent together? W-why go against your own words and join him…?"

_Wait, what's she talking about? 'times three of us spent together'? 'reclaiming Heliseum?' All those words sound vaguely familiar… Like a certain fond childhood memory of… _

"Focus on the battle, Kaiser. No distractions!" I remind myself. I prepare my sword for another strike.

**Angelic Buster's PoV**

"Idiot!" Eskalade scolds me. "Are you trying to reveal your identity on purpose!"

"Well, that does seem vaguely familiar, Pinkie. You've done your research it seems. But, don't you dare bring up something like that. It was a past where I was _weak._ I'm way past that now! Weakness is something I won't tolerate, much less from myself." Velderoth sneers, pointing his sword at me.

Crap, I shouldn't have said that. I regretted those words as soon as they leave my mouth. That could well have exposed my identity straight away! Why did I even bring up something from our childhood! Even in this battleground, I cannot be found out to be the poor, helpless girl they call Tear. And most definitely not by Kyle or Velderoth, that's just suicide! Stupid, stupid! I scold myself. Well, I better save some face and put up a good fight now. Hopefully Kaiser doesn't find out…

"Uh, Angel, about what you just said…" Kaiser says to me.

**Damn it. **

"So... what were you talking about? What did you mean the times the three of us spent together? Reclaiming Heliseum? I have vague memories of that but no offence, they don't concern you at all. It involves myself, Velderoth and my friend Tear so what…"

"Uh, i-it's n-nothing! I-I just, uh, y-you know, it's u-um…" I stutter and struggle for words as I try to cook up an explanation. In my embarrassment my face flares up and is now a bright shade of red.

"Bloody fools, keep your little chat for another time! I'm not here to listen to your nonsense!" Velderoth shouts angrily.

I almost feel grateful to him for ending this awkward moment until...

Velderoth raises his sword and summons a sphere of darkness at its tip. "Time for a taste of my true powers." He launches the sphere of darkness straight at us. It hurtles towards us at incredible speed.

"**No, Kyle!" **I scream, pushing him out of the way. No, I won't let him get hurt.

However, my noble act has left me with no time to defend myself. I am unable to dodge or block….

"**Angel! No!" **Kaiser shouts out in anguish.

I am hit with full force. It is pain as I have never felt before. It feels as if every bone in my body was being broken simultaneously. I writhe on the ground and cry out in pain. _Oh my GOD this is horrible. Am I dying? It certainly feels like it._ Over the sounds of my agonized screams I can hear Velderoth laughing and Kaiser crying out in anguish. _Well at least Kyle's safe,_ I tell myself.

Slowly, I feel my power draining. It's as if my Soul Battery was being sucked out completely. _"Crap, I'm losing you, sweetheart! I won't be able to hold out much longer either!" _Eskalade says in my head. I feel my breathing slowing down. Eskalade's power has almost completely left my body. Am I dying? This feels rather strange for dying. I once heard that it was peaceful and soothing, much like falling into an eternal sleep. Well, this was anything but.

With my Soul Battery and Eskalade's power drained, I feel my body becoming lighter. The Angelic Buster outfit slowly fades away to my normal, plain clothing. The pink hair fades to brown and…

**Oh no.**

And everything went black.

* * *

**Kaiser's PoV**

"T...Tear?" I whisper quietly.

Velderoth takes a step back, or rather stumbles. His mouth falls open and he drops his sword to the floor. "T-Tear? W-what in the world? B-But how? What's the meaning of this!"

To say I was shocked myself would be a great understatement. Nothing could accurately describe my feelings to seeing Angelic Buster change into Tear. A mixture of shock, disbelief and oddly, melancholy. I have the same thought as Velderoth running through my head. _"What's the meaning of this?" _I question myself.

A glance at Velderoth tells me he's just as shocked as I am. His sword has dropped to the floor and he seems to be in a trance. His guard is down… wait.

**Hey! Now's my chance!**

"You're wide open!" I yell as I charge at Velderoth. **"Gigas Wave! Blade Burst!" **I send a whole barrage of attacks at Velderoth.

"**Aaaaaargh! Shit!" **I hear Velderoth cry out over the noise from the attacks. HIs howls of pain and anguish continue for a while. When the impact of my attacks has died down, Velderoth is lying there, bruised, battered and bloody. He struggles to pick himself up. However, his injuries are more severe and he falls onto the ground, breathing heavily.

I point my sword at him. "It's over, _Veldie_." I say, with venom in my voice. "Your game is up. I'm making sure they lock you up. You can't go running back looking for your master now. It's time to face justice for your crimes!"

Velderoth seems to pay no attention to my words. "Congratulations, Kyle. It seems your Kaiser position isn't just for show." He coughs and wheezes. "So, tell me… What's the deal with Tear, huh? So she's actually gotten some magical power, even though she was born with none? It was a major shock finding out she WAS the Angelic Buster… but I must say I'm happy for her…" Velderoth has a thoughtful look on his face.

"My guess is as good is your's. Even I have no idea, she never said anything. Anyway, we're taking you away to prison." I signal to two soldiers who tie up his arms and help him up onto his feet. He makes no attempt at a struggle.

Before the soldiers leave, I grab his shoulders and look him in the eye.

"Think through what I said, Velderoth. I don't want to believe that you're completely gone. There's still good in you, the you from all those years ago who wanted to fight for justice, for the freedom of Heliseum. As much as you're a traitorous bastard, I believe you can come to your senses. I have requested to Edea not to execute you just yet. I believe in that small chance, as small as it is, that you can change and be an asset to us."

Velderoth snickers. "We'll see… about that." With that, I order the soldiers to take him away.

I turn back to where Tear is lying unconscious. I pick her up and carry her bridal style to the medical tent.

"Stay with me, Tear." I whisper.

* * *

**Aha, so as some of you did guess, Tear did get found out. **

**Anyway, I actually intended to make this chapter longer by writing what happened afterwards. However, I thought it'd be more practical to split it into two chapters. It might get a little fluffy in the next chapter, just to let you all know. **

**Apologies if you think the wait was too long, I have plenty of free time now, am just kind of lazy to update sometimes (SORRY DON'T KILL ME XD) Been caught up watching anime and reading more fics, so yeah. **

**Once again, if you enjoyed, favourite or follow or leave a review! Thanks :3**


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